Prom 2 - 17.07.17: Daniel Barenboim conducts Sibelius and Elgar

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30 Saturday 15 July 2017
Royal Albert Hall

Jean Sibelius : Violin Concerto in D minor
Edward Elgar : Symphony No 1 in A flat major

Lisa Batiashvili violin
Staatskapelle Berlin
Daniel Barenboim conductor

Fresh from two remarkable Elgar recordings with his Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim launches this year's cycle of Elgar symphonies with a performance of the First - a work of thrilling emotional contrasts and a slow movement of Mahlerian richness and beauty.
He pairs it with one of the great Romantic violin concertos, once described by musicologist Donald Francis Tovey as 'more original, more masterly and more exhilarating' than any of its rivals, in which former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Lisa Batiashvili is the soloist.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Barenboim has been a great Elgarian for many years, but I do hope he will not blindly copy Elgar's increase the composer's unmarked increase in tempo in the finale of the 1st symphony - exactly at the point when there was a 78 rpm side change. He did so in his first recording (as did Solti).

[Zucchini]

That orchestra with its unmatchable burnished strings and glorious rich brass, is made for Elgar. It's sure to sound wonderful.

[pastoralguy]

Both of Barenboim's recordings of the Symphonies are superb as is his new 'Gerontius' that was released on Friday.

[makropulos]

Interesting. I was left cold by Barenboim's Decca recordings of the symphonies. Am I the only one? (very possibly). Elgar himself, Boult (several times for each), Solti, Mackerras, Colin Davis, V. Petrenko, Elder and Barbirolli all do far more for me in these marvellous works than Barenboim's Berlin performances. By comparison, I find Barenboim - rightly or wrongly - to have too many moments where textures are stodgy, and rhythms stilted, or where the tension seems to sag. Each to their own, I suppose - and these are issues I have with Barenboim's performances of other composers too. At any event, I'm sure it'll be worth hearing this orchestra playing Elgar live.

[Tony Halstead]

Interesting. I was left cold by Barenboim's Decca recordings of the symphonies. Am I the only one? (very possibly). Elgar himself, Boult (several times for each), Solti, Mackerras, Colin Davis, V. Petrenko, Elder and Barbirolli all do far more for me in these marvellous works than Barenboim's Berlin performances. By comparison, I find Barenboim - rightly or wrongly - to have too many moments where textures are stodgy, and rhythms stilted, or where the tension seems to sag. Each to their own, I suppose - and these are issues I have with Barenboim's performances of other composers too. At any event, I'm sure it'll be worth hearing this orchestra playing Elgar live.

DB is, and always has been, under the 'spell of Fuertwaengler' and so I guess that what he does with the music agrees with his concept of what WF would have done.
Come to think of it... did WF ever conduct an Elgar symphony?

[makropulos]

DB is, and always has been, under the 'spell of Fuertwaengler' and so I guess that what he does with the music agrees with his concept of what WF would have done.
Come to think of it... did WF ever conduct an Elgar symphony?

Now that's an interesting idea! Sadly, according to René Trémine's listing of all Furtwängler's concerts, he never conducted any Elgar.

[BBMmk2]

Be great to hear the Elgar but I'm not so sure about the tradition with Barenboim and Sibelius?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

No long now.

[CallMePaul]

I hope that the concert will not be marred by applause between movements! Surely a polite request in the programme not to applaud until the conductor turns to face the audience would put a stop to this distracting practice?
Also, I do not want to hear performers accosted in the hall by presenters. It makes me hope that Lisa Batiashvili does not speak English so that this will not happen (the polyglot Barenboim will, no doubt, be asked about the Elgar at least). I prefer an old-fashioned interval talk, either about the programme in some way or with some lateral relationship to it. The BBC is good at these things but sadly they seem to have become extinct. Please no more talking to the audience!

[pastoralguy]

I can report the Lisa Biatiashvili speaks excellent English! I was lucky enough to be introduced to her when she was starting out on her career and she's a lovely soul.

[oddoneout]

I see the online schedule shows her as soloist for the Elgar, while the Sibelius seems to be soloist-less....

[pastoralguy]

I see the online schedule shows her as soloist for the Elgar, while the Sibelius seems to be soloist-less....

Maybe it's a 'music minus one' performance...

[bluestateprommer]

I can report the Lisa Biatiashvili speaks excellent English! I was lucky enough to be introduced to her when she was starting out on her career and she's a lovely soul.

Yes, she does speak excellent English, as heard in the pre-concert chat that CB-H recorded with her. Absolutely splendid account of the Sibelius just now, LB on cracking form and the Staatskapelle Berlin sounding marvelous with a big rich sound (no surprise after hearing them last year live in Bruckner 4), with DB totally with her and, at least via iPlayer, balancing the orchestra wonderfully with her.

(Yes, there was applause between the movements, but in the grand scale of things, there are much more important things to get angry about now, sadly especially so on this side of the pond.)

[johnn10]

I found the performance a tad too analytical for my taste -esp the first movement.